Two Democrats, two Republicans seek open NH Executive Council seat that represents Upper Valley

By PATRICK ADRIAN

Valley News Staff Writer

Published: 06-18-2024 6:01 PM

As has been the case in recent election cycles, Republican state House candidates will be few and far between on ballots in November in the core of the Upper Valley on the New Hampshire side.

In Grafton 12, representing Hanover and Lyme, four Democratic candidates are running unopposed to fill four open seats. The candidates include two incumbents, Mary Hakken-Phillips and Russell Muirhead, along with two other Hanover residents, Ellen Rockmore and Terry Spahr.

In Lebanon, Democratic incumbents are running unopposed for the city’s four district seats, including Rep. Laurel Stavis, Ward I, Rep. George Sykes, Ward II, Thomas Cormen, Ward III, and Susan Almy, floterial.

Rep. David Fracht, D-Enfield, is also running unopposed in his district, Grafton 16, which serves Enfield.

There will be a contested race for the region’s state Senate seat.

Incumbent state Sen. Sue Prentiss, D-Lebanon, will face Republican challenger John McIntyre, of Hanover, in the general election in District 5, which in the Upper Valley includes Canaan, Cornish, Dorchester, Enfield, Grantham, Hanover, Lebanon, Lyme, New London, Orford, Plainfield and Springfield, as well as other communities.

Upper Valley voters in New Hampshire also will elect a new member to the state’s Executive Council to succeed Cinde Warmington, D-Concord, who is seeking her party’s nomination for governor. Four candidates are running for the District 2 seat, which serves Upper Valley communities in Grafton and Sullivan counties.

On the Democratic side, Karen Liot Hill, a Lebanon city councilor, is running against Michael Liberty, a business executive from New London. For Republicans, Mary Rose Deak, Concord, is competing against Kim Strathdee, Plymouth.

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Granite State voters will head to the polls in September for a primary to select Democratic and Republican candidates for November’s general election. In Grafton County, there are 15 house seats and two senate seats that represent Upper Valley communities, though many of the primaries will be uncontested according to the Secretary of State’s Offices candidates list.

The filing deadline to run for state office was Friday at 5 p.m. The state primary election will be held on Sept. 10. Winners of their respective primary races will compete in the general election on Nov. 5. Political parties have until Wednesday to nominate candidates for offices where no candidate has filed to run.

In the other state Senate race that touches the Upper Valley, voters in the town of Grafton are in state Senate District 7, which is represented by State Senator Dan Innis, R-Bradford, who is seeking reelection. Sue Green, D-Andover, is running on the Democratic ticket.

In the House, incumbent Rep. Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill, and Greg Mathieson, also of Haverhill, are running in the Grafton 5 district, which has two seats and serves Haverhill and Piermont, among other towns. Rachael Booth, of Landaff, and Dustin Vigneault, of Haverhill, are running on the Democratic side.

In the Grafton 6 House district, which serves Orford, among other towns, incumbent Rep. Linda Franz, R-Wentworth, is running uncontested in both the primary and general elections.

In Grafton 9, which serves Canaan, Dorchester and Orange, Thomas Oppel, Canaan, is running on the Democratic ballot, and Kevin Howard, Canaan, is running on the Republican ticket.

Rep. Corrine Morse, D-Canaan, did not file for reelection.

In Grafton 11, which serves the town of Grafton, among other towns, incumbent Rep. Lex Berezhny, R-Grafton, is running unopposed. No Democrat filed.

Two candidates are running in Grafton 18, a 10-town district that includes Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton and Orange. Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, of Bridgewater, is running on the Democratic ballot, and Donald McFarlane, Orange, is running as a Republican.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.